


Covered in my Art

by TripCreates



Series: Living Legends 'Verse [2]
Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Aged-Up Yuri Plisetsky, Alternate Universe - Tattoo Parlor, First Meetings, Getting Together, Getting to Know Each Other, M/M, Mutual Pining, Pining, Pre-Relationship, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-18
Updated: 2017-03-18
Packaged: 2018-10-06 23:13:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 12,555
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10346736
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TripCreates/pseuds/TripCreates
Summary: It was quiet around Living Legends Tattoo and Piercings and Yuri was enjoying every moment of it. Viktor and Yuuri had left the previous day for their vacation and Yuri may have been longing forward to it more than the couple.Yuri is a new artist working in a tattoo shop with Viktor and the other Russians. He soon meets Otabek, a figure skater training in St Petersburg, who wants to get a tattoo. It doesn't take long for Yuri to fall for the man. It just takes a while for him to realize it and admit it.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So...this fic kind spiraled out of control. When I first came up with the idea I was thinking it would be around 5 or 6k and as you can see, I went way past that. It's safe to say I've completely fallen into this AU and it's hard to get out. 
> 
> This is for Day 3 of Yuri Plisetsky week which is AU/Crossover. I love tattoos even though I haven't been able to get one yet, so I enjoy fics with my fave characters getting them. I've tried to get this as accurate as possible with my knowledge and the research I have done so please be gentle with me if I got something extremely wrong. I want to think my lovely best friend Storm for letting me ask her random tattoo questions as I was writing as well as Rie and Hanna for helping me bounce tattoo ideas around. I'll link reference pictures in the end notes of some of the tattoos mentioned in this fic.
> 
> I'd really love to hear how this fic turned out so please let me know in the comments. Enjoy!

It was quiet around Living Legends Tattoo and Piercings and Yuri was enjoying every moment of it. Viktor and Yuuri had left the previous day for their vacation and Yuri may have been longing forward to it more than the couple. Why they decided to go in February was unknown to Yuri. All he knew was it would be two weeks of blissful silence and the constant sight of Viktor and Yuuri’s gross, romantic crap. This was their first trip since Yuuri moved to St Petersburg and Yuri hoped they would work it out of their system before they returned back to work. This was supposed to be a professional establishment after all, even if Viktor started and owned the place.

Yuri sat at the front counter, sketching to pass the time. Without Yuuri there to manage the front desk, someone had to make sure it and the phone was covered while he was away. Yuri was trying to take a break from his usual sketches of tigers or other big cats to expand his range. He was very good a drawing them and had a huge love for the animals, evident by the lion and leopard on his forearms and the Siberian tiger on his back, and Viktor even suggested that could be what he specialized in.

While that was a nice idea, Yuri needed to be able to draw anything if he was going to be as good as Viktor someday. Viktor was known for being able to tattoo anything, not matter how outrageous the idea was, and everyone knew it.  That’s why he only 28 and regarded as a living legend in the tattoo community.

Yuri glanced up and looked at Viktor’s awards for winning the Best of Convention at the International Tattoo Convention five times in a row. They certainly weren’t his only awards from other his ten-year-old career but those were the most prestigious. While Viktor displayed them for all the see when they entered the shop, they served as constant motivation for Yuri to push himself towards his goal.

As Yuri drew, he realized it was a little _too_ quiet in the studio with no one to talk to. Mila was busy working on a client and Georgi was out on break with his new girlfriend. But Yuri wasn’t going to let Viktor know he was feeling this way. He could clearly hear in his mind saying, “Aw, Yurio you missed me. So you do care about me!” and that instantly made appreciate the silence once again.

He looked back down at his drawings of various roses. He wasn’t much of a fan of floral tattoos but they were popular. Once Mila was done with her current session, he planned to ask her opinion on them. She was much better at them than he was.

The door opened and Yuri looked up to see who it was. He did have an appointment coming up for a consultation that Viktor set from before leaving and he wondered if the man approaching was the one. Since Yuri was still a fairly new artist, he didn’t have many clients wanting him and since he was new, he always got the easier designs that Mila and Viktor didn’t have time for. He didn’t mind since that’s how it went for new artists after completing their apprenticeship, but he couldn’t wait to do more custom work. He was already tired of the simple flash designs.

Yuri gazed at the man as he walked to the counter. He couldn’t help but give him a good once over, taking in the leather jacket and black jeans that hugged his thighs nicely. As the man removed his sunglasses, Yuri discovered he could stare into those gorgeous brown eyes forever. The man looked to be in his early twenties and a little shorter than Yuri, not that it bothered him. He was quite handsome too.

“Hi, can I help you?” Yuri asked once the man stopped in front of him.

“Yes, I have a consultation. Name is Altin,” he said.

Yuri nodded as he checked the schedule and saw Otabek Altin for four-thirty beside his name. “Since you’re a little early and there’s nothing going, we can go ahead and get started.  No sense in making you sit around and wait,” Yuri said, glancing back up at Otabek. He rose from the chair and extended his hand, “I’m Yuri by the way and will be doing your tattoo.”

Otabek gave him a curt handshake, his expression hard to read.

Yuri grabbed his sketchbook. “You can follow me back here,” he said as he walked around the counter.

He led the way past Viktor and Mila’s room towards his at the end and gestured for Otabek to enter first. Yuri was glad Viktor made it so that each artist had their own room for their station and that he allowed them to decorate it however they pleased. Yuri wasn’t a big fan of the high end, minimalist aesthetic Viktor used for the majority of the studio. Each room was small with the right amount of room to work in. Yuri had done the walls black and hand painted a tiger on the wall opposite the door so it was the first thing that was seen upon entering. There was also large, full length mirror on the right hand wall.

As Otabek took a seat in the chair, Yuri pulled up his stool next to him. He crossed his right leg over his left, resting his ankle on his knee. He opened his sketchbook to a clean page and laid it against his bent leg.

“Is this your first tattoo?” Yuri asked, looking up at Otabek. It was good to know whether or not the client already had one so he knew what he was dealing with.

“Yes, this will be my first.”

Yuri was a bit surprised by the answer but he kept the thought to himself. “Alright, so what are you thinking about getting?”

Otabek pulled his phone out of his jacket pocket and unlocked it. “I want to get this,” he said. A moment later, he turned the phone screen toward Yuri. “Just the part with the sun and eagle.”

“May I?” Yuri asked, extending his hand.

Otabek nodded and Yuri gently took the phone. He was used to clients showing him design ideas on their phones and he was always conscious to be more careful with their phones than he was with his.

Yuri looked down at the image. “I take it you’re from Kazakhstan then,” he said, scribbling notes onto the paper.

“I am. I wanted to have something to always remind me of home while I’m not there,” Otabek replied.

Yuri nodded along. “Do you want it to look just as it does on flag or add anything else to it?”

Otabek thought it over for a moment. “I was thinking of just wanting it as is. Would you suggest anything different?”

Yuri looked from the phone then back up to Otabek. He could come up with some other options but none that seemed to fit the man it would be on. “I would suggest to keep it as is.”

“Then let’s do that.”

Yuri noted that on the paper. “Would you like it in black?” He hoped Otabek said black. Even though he preferred working in black and gray, this tattoo would look best in it. Of course that didn’t mean that he hadn’t clashed with clients before on what would look in color and what wouldn’t.

“Black.”

Yuri smiled as he wrote that down before handing the phone back to its owner. “Good choice. Now, where are you thinking about getting it?”

 

After settling on the placement being on Otabek’s left bicep and the size, along with the pricing, the consultation was over.

Yuri led him back out to the counter so they could schedule the tattoo appointment and take care of the deposit. Mila was sitting at the counter, already done with her client. She eyed Otabek as he walked around to front of the counter before she shifted out of the way for Yuri.

“What month works for you? Then we can go from there,” Yuri said, bringing up the schedule on the computer.

“Do you have anything for April?” Otabek asked, leaning his arms against the counter.

Yuri brought that month up. “I do. Is April seventh good?” He glanced back to Otabek.

Otabek shook his head. “Something a little later than that would be better. I’ll just be getting back into town that week and will need a couple of days to rest and recover.”

“That’s understandable. The twenty-first?”

“That works.”

“Okay then I’ll put you down on that day for two in the afternoon. Since it’s a pretty simple design, it won’t take very long. I’m thinking forty-five minutes to an hour at the most.” After typing that into the computer, Yuri wrote the date and time on an appointment card. “If you need to reschedule, make sure to call and me know ahead of time.”

Yuri set the card on the counter in front of Otabek, then moved on setting up for the deposit.

Otabek picked up the card and slid it into his wallet before paying.

One that was taken care of, Yuri said, “That takes care of everything. See you in a couple of months.”

“See you then,” Otabek said, giving him a smile.

It was the first time his expression had changed the whole time he was there and Yuri couldn’t stop staring.

Otabek made his way to the door and pushed open the door. He glanced back over his shoulder to look at Yuri one last time before stepping out. The faint sound of motorcycle revving up was heard and then it was gone.

Mila stepped back up the counter next to Yuri. “He was hot,” she said, eyes still fixed on the door Otabek just walked out of.

“If you say so,” Yuri replied, looking away.

Mila turned to look at him, crossing her arms. “You don’t agree? I saw the way you were looking at him just now.”

“Shouldn’t you be a little more professional instead of ogling?” Yuri countered, avoiding her question. He completely agreed with her but he wasn’t going to admit it. Doing so would only give her something new to tease him about and he wasn’t going to give her anymore ammunition.

Mila shrugged her shoulder. “He’s not my client so I can say it. Is that why you’re not agreeing?” She asked, wrapped her arm around his shoulder.

Yuri sighed, realizing she wasn’t going to drop it. “I’m going on break now.” He picked up his sketchbook and pulled away from her.

 

Time passed by and before Yuri knew it, April had rolled around. He’d be lying if he said he hadn’t been looking forward to seeing Otabek again. There was something about the man that intrigued Yuri and he wanted to get to know him a little better.

It was almost two and Yuri was prepping his station, getting everything sanitized and ready for when Otabek arrived. Right as he finished, Mila poked her head into his room.

“Your appointment is here,” she sing-songed. “And he’s looking very handsome today.”

Yuri rolled his eyes. “Thanks, _baba_ ,” he said in passing as he made his way to the front to greet Otabek.

When he reached the front, he was surprised to see Yuuri chatting with Otabek as if they knew each other. Yuuri normally didn’t chat like this with clients. He usually just checked them in or answered basic questions and that was it. But here he was, talking away with a smile on his face. Otabek had his same stoic face as before but he was nodding along with whatever Yuuri was saying.

Yuri cleared his throat as he walked up to the counter, causing the two men to look his way.

“Yurio, I didn’t realize you’d be tattooing Otabek today. What a small world this is,” Yuuri said, smiling at him now.

Yuri raised an eyebrow at him. How did these two know each other? “I didn’t realize you two already knew each other,” he said.

“I wouldn’t say that but we met through Phichit.”

Now that made even less sense to Yuri. How did Yuuri’s best friend factor into this?

Yuri ignored the question for now and turned to Otabek. “I’m ready for you if you want to follow me back.”

With a nod, Otabek followed Yuri back to his room.

“Yurio?” Otabek asked as they walked down the short hallway.

“It’s a nickname Viktor gave me after he started dating Yuuri since there were two of us. Thought it would be easier,” Yuri explained. As they entered the room, he pointed with his thumb to a hook on the wall next to the door. “You can hang your jacket over there.”

As Otabek hung up his jacket, Yuri pulled on a pair of black gloves and picked up the stencil he printed out earlier. Yuri glanced back at Otabek and took in the sight of him in a black tank top. This shirt was a tighter fit than the t-shirt he wore the last time and gave Yuri a better look at how in shape he was.

Yuri wasn’t expecting that and he quickly told himself to focus. This was not the time for that, especially when Otabek was silently staring at him, waiting for what to do next.

“Uh, let’s get this stencil on you and make sure you like the size and placement before we start,” Yuri said. “Come stand over here.”

Otabek as Yuri said and stood in front of him. Yuri carefully applied the stencil and made sure it transferred well before pulling the paper off.

“Take a look in the mirror and let me know if I should move it,” Yuri said.

Otabek stepped in front of the mirror behind Yuri and looked it over. “It looks good,” he said, turning back to face Yuri.

“Then take a seat and make sure you’re comfortable,” Yuri said, dropping down onto his stool. He began pouring out the amount of black ink he needed as Otabek sat down. “You’re welcome to listen to music if you like or I have some headphones you can borrow to block at the noise of the machine.”

“I’m fine without it,” Otabek replied, adjusting in the chair.

“Not a problem then.” Yuri picked up his machine and looked up. “Ready?”

Otabek answered with a thumbs up.

 

As he started to work, Yuri fell into the flow of it. He tended to lose himself in it as he worked. Otabek was quiet and Yuri was a little surprised. He assumed the man wanted to talk during it since he said no to music and headphones. Usually Yuri was happy with a quiet client. He didn’t like overly talkative people while he worked. But now, he was finding himself wanting to talk to Otabek and get to know him.

“So, how do you know Yuuri and Phichit?” he asked, wiping away some of the blood that was collecting before dipping the needles into the ink.

“I’m a competitive figure skater and met Phichit at a competition a couple of years ago. I met Yuuri sometime after that but I haven’t talked to him that much,” Otabek replied.

Yuri paused before starting again and looked up at Otabek. He never would have guessed he was a figure skater but now that he thought about it, that did explain why his ass looked so good. Not that Yuri had looked or anything like that. It also made sense of how he knew Yuuri and Phichit.

“I’m sure you weren’t expecting that answer,” Otabek continued when Yuri didn’t respond.

Yuri shook his head. “I wasn’t but I guess it’s like Yuuri said, it’s a small world.” Yuri looked back down at Otabek’s arm and picked up where he had last stopped. “Do you train here in St Petersburg?”

“Yes, I moved here a couple of years ago. I try to visit Almaty in the off season as much as I can to see my family.”

“I couldn’t imagine living that far from home. I moved from Moscow to here when I started my apprenticeship with Viktor but that’s nowhere near the same distance,” Yuri said. He did miss seeing his grandpa but least it only took a few hours to visit.

“It wasn’t an easy decision to make but it’s the sacrifice I made in order to receive better training and hopefully win gold for my country.”

 “I hope you do some day.” Yuri smiled up at him as he got more ink. “I bet you’re one of the coolest skaters out there.”

When Otabek didn’t respond, Yuri glanced up to see him with his brow furrowed in confusion. “I mean, just look at you,” he said as he looked back down to continue working. “You’ve got the whole bad boy look going on with your all black, leather jacket and motorcycle. Now you’ll have a nice tattoo to go with it.” It was a look that Yuri liked very much.

“It’s just not the reaction I thought I would get from you.”

Yuri leaned back and shrugged as he wiped off Otabek’s arm again with the paper towel. “There’s nothing wrong with you being a figure skater. I have a lot of respect for skaters because what you do is nothing to scoff at,” he said as he continued.

“Are you a fan of it?”

Yuri couldn’t see his expression but Otabek sounded surprised.

“I haven’t paid much attention to it in years. I learned how to skate when I was a kid and really enjoyed it. It was kind of my dream at the time to continue with it and compete when I was old enough. But I had to quit before that could happen.”

“Why?” Otabek hesitantly asked.

Yuri was quiet for a moment, keeping his eyes locked on Otabek’s arm. “My family couldn’t afford it after my mom got sick and needed a lot of medical care. After she passed away, I didn’t want to continue anymore.”

“I’m sorry to hear that about your mother.”

Yuri pulled the machine away from Otabek’s arm and looked up at him, seeing how sincere he was. Yuri didn’t know why he told a complete stranger this but he did. He hardly talked to anyone about his mom but he found Otabek to be a comforting presence.

“It’s okay,” he said quietly. “So, did you compete at Worlds?” he asked, changing the subject. Yuri remembered that was a few weeks ago when Yuuri flew to China to support Phichit. Viktor wasn’t able to accompany him since he had an appointment and another magazine interview to do. It was a rough week for Yuri, Mila and Georgi to deal with Viktor and him missing his boyfriend.

“I did, which is why I had to make this appointment later,” Otabek answered.

“And how did you do?”

“I got bronze.”

Yuri flashed him a smile. “Congratulations! That’s awesome.”

Otabek smiled a little in return. “Thank you.”

They fell back into silence with only the buzzing sound of the tattoo machine filling the room. The outline was nearly complete.

“How long have you been doing this?” Otabek asked.

“I finished my apprenticeship about six months ago,” Yuri replied.

“Do you like working here?”

Yuri nodded. “I do, even when if Viktor can drive me crazy sometimes.”

“Is he a bad boss or something?”

Yuri chuckled as he leaned away. “No, nothing like that,” he said as he dipped the machine into the ink. “Despite being an airhead at times and forgetting things, he’s truly amazing at what he does. He wouldn’t have won the awards that he has. He’s been a great teacher, which is why I came to him to learn.”

As soon as the words left his mouth, Viktor stepped into the room. “Sorry to interrupt, I just wanted to check to see how things were going,” he said. “Don’t mind me at all.”

Yuri glanced up at the older man before continuing, not paying much attention to Viktor as he stepped up behind him for a closer look. He was used to Viktor watching him tattoo and wasn’t bothered by it anymore like when he first started.

“You’re doing great work so far. Shouldn’t take you long to finish,” Viktor observed.

“Thanks,” Yuri mumbled. Even if he wouldn’t admit it, he liked hearing from Viktor that he was doing a good job.

Viktor looked up at Otabek. “You’re in good hands, Mr. Altin. Yuri is my best student.”

“I’ve been you’re _only_ student,” Yuri added.

Viktor laughed then said, “And you’re still the best. That’s why I hope you choose to stay here with me. You’re a great addition to the shop. I’ll let you finish.”

And with that, Viktor exited the room.

“You’re the only person he’s mentored?” Otabek asked once Viktor was gone.

“It actually wasn’t easy for me to get him to take me on. He wasn’t interested in teaching anyone yet and suggested I ask his former mentor Yakov, which is who Mila studied with too, but I refused. Eventually, I won him over.” Yuri remembered how persistent he’d been to get Viktor to say yes and he was glad he kept at it.

“You were pretty determined to get your way,” Otabek said, amused.

“Damn right I was,” Yuri said, smirking.

Otabek was quiet for a moment before asking, “What did he mean by saying he hopes to stay here with him? Are you thinking about leaving for another shop?”

“Well, I have to stay here a year after I finished my apprenticeship. That was part of my contract when he took me on,” Yuri explained. “I’m halfway through that year so I potentially could move on to somewhere else to work if I want to.”

“Are you going to stay here?”

Yuri glanced up at him for a moment before looking away. “Probably unless Viktor and Yuuri continue to be the gross, overly romantic couple that they are,” he joked.

(Yuri hoped he never turned into someone like that if he was in a relationship.)

Yuri figured he would continue to stay at Viktor’s studio regardless of how the couple acted. After he worked so hard to get a spot here, he wasn’t going to leave so quickly. There was still so much more he wanted to learn from Viktor. Plus, he liked everyone that worked there. It felt like home now.

 

The session soon came to an end. As Yuri cleaned it up, he wished it had gone on a little longer. He actually liked talking to Otabek and it wasn’t often that it happened with someone, not just for a client.

Yuri called for Viktor to come check out the tattoo before he bandaged it up for Otabek to leave. Viktor gave him the approval he was looking for and told he’d done well on it.

“Have a look at it for yourself, Mr. Altin, and let us know what you think,” Viktor said, gesturing to the mirror.

Otabek slid off the chair and approached the mirror. Yuri held his breath as he watched Otabek check out the reflection. Even though he knew he did a good job, he was still nervous Otabek would find something wrong with it or not like it.

“I really like it,” Otabek said a minute later as he turned back to the other men.

Yuri beamed with pride.

“Wonderful,” Viktor said. “I’ll let you finish up. Have a good rest of your day, Mr. Altin.”

When it was just the two of the again, Yuri asked, “Is it alright if I take a picture for portfolio and Instagram before I cover it up?”

“Sure, go ahead.”

Yuri stripped off the gloves and dropped them into the trash bin. “You can stand over there by the wall,” he said as he grabbed his phone from one of the drawers by the station.

He snapped a few photos from different angles to make sure he a couple of good ones to keep. He returned the phone to his drawer and pulled on a fresh pair of gloves. “Let’s get this bandaged up,” he said, picking up the necessary items.

Otabek moved closer to Yuri and stood still as Yuri applied the gauze.

“I have a paper with all the things you need to know for aftercare but the main points are, keep this tattoo covered for at least two hours before you remove it. After that, clean it with antibacterial soap several times a day for a couple weeks until it’s healed. There’s some ointment you need to get to put on it the first few days and there are some suggested brands on the sheet. Another main thing is to stay out of large bodies of water. Quick showers are fine. And in your case, no training or exercising for two weeks while this heals,” Yuri explained as Otabek nodded along. “And no picking or scratching at it.”

Once the bandage was secure, Yuri removed the gloves and threw them away. He opened another drawer and pulled out a sheet of paper with all the aftercare instructions typed out on it. He turned and handed it to Otabek. “Here’s everything you need to know. If you have any questions, feel free to call.”

Otabek glanced over the sheet before folding it up to stick into his jacket pocket after retrieving it from where it was hanging.

“Everything is done back here so let me just take you back out front to take care of the payment,” Yuri said.

Otabek followed Yuri back out to the front of the studio. Yuri was glad Mila wasn’t up by the counter like last time. Yuuri wasn’t there either which meant he was probably upstairs in the office. Georgi, their piercer, was sitting behind the counter. The older man barely paid them any attention as Yuri took the payment. He was busy typing on his phone and Yuri figured he was talking to his girlfriend.

After paying, Otabek pulled some bills from his wallet and handed them to Yuri as a tip.

“Thank you,” Yuri said as he took the money and quickly stuffed it into his pocket for later. “Make sure to take good care of that. I want it to look good out there on the ice.”

Otabek gave him a smile. “I will.”

They stared at each other for a moment, neither making an attempt to say goodbye.

(Yuri was too busy gazing at Otabek to notice Georgi glance up from his phone to look at them.)

Yuri grabbed one of the appointment cards and a pen, quickly scribbling a couple of things on it. He then handed the card to Otabek. “There’s my professional account where I’ll be posting your tattoo, if you’re okay with that.”

“I don’t mind,” Otabek replied, looking down at the card. “What’s this other account?”

Yuri felt a blush spread across his cheeks. “That’s my personal account, just in case you wanted it.”

Otabek met his gaze. “Thanks,” he said, sliding the card into his pocket.

“If you start having any issues with your tattoo, call and let us know,” Yuri said, unsure of what else to say.

Otabek nodded. “I should probably go now. I don’t want to take up anymore of your time,” he said.

Yuri did have things he needed to do even though all he wanted to do was keep standing there with the other man. “Have a good rest of the day,” he said.

“And that same to you.” Otabek finally turned away from the counter and made his way out of the shop.

As the door closed behind him, Georgi looked up at Yuri. “Why didn’t you give him your phone number too?”

Yuri looked down at him. “I expect that kind of question from Mila, not you too.” What was it with his co-workers saying stuff like this to him? While everyone else was happy with their relationships and love, Yuri was not like that. He was perfectly fine without it.

Georgi set his phone down and rested his elbows on the counter. “I’m sure he wouldn’t have minded if you did,” he continued, ignoring what Yuri had said.

“And why do you think that?” Yuri was curious to hear his reasoning.

Georgi smiled and said, “I saw the way he was looking at you and he wasn’t in any hurry to leave.”

Yuri saved that information to think about later. “Like I told Mila before, I’m trying to be professional. He’s a client.”

“Then why did you give him your personal Instagram account?”

_Shit,_ Yuri thought. He didn’t think Georgi was paying attention to them when he did that. “Shut up,” he said as he stomped away. Yuri didn’t know what caused him to do that. He never gave that account away to most people, especially clients. He only gave them the professional one.

He entered his room and began cleaning everything up from the session. When he was done, Yuri uploaded the best photo of Otabek’s tattoo. Even if it wasn’t an original design, he was still proud of it. He scrolled through his feed, wondering if Otabek was going to follow him on either of the accounts. He hoped he would at least follow his professional one and that he didn’t weird the guy out by giving him his personal one too.

He closed out of the app before he could dwell on it any longer when he heard Viktor call his name. There was still more work to be done.

 

Later that night, Yuri entered his apartment. He was immediately greeted by Sasha as she rubbed against his legs.

“It’s good to see you too,” he said as he bent over to pet her. She meowed and looked up at him. “I know that look, you’re ready for dinner aren’t you?”

He set his backpack down on the couch and crossed the small apartment to the kitchen with Sasha at his heels. She went straight to her food bowl and waited as he opened a can of food. After emptying the contents into her bowl, Yuri tossed the can into the trashcan and looked for something to eat.

The feeling of not wanting to cook anything led to him pulled a frozen dinner out of the freezer and heating that up in the microwave. He walked to his room and sat on his bed to remove his boots, tossing them across the room. Yuri pulled the money out of his pocket that Otabek gave him and counted it. It was certainly more than he expected as a tip for that tattoo. Otabek must just be a generous person he reasoned.

Yuri stood up and walked over to his closet. He pulled out a small metal box and opened it; dropping the bills in there with the rest of the tip money he’d been saving. He never knew when some kind of emergency might happen and he would need the extra money. He put the box back in its hiding place and left his room.

He entered the kitchen just as the microwave beeped. He grabbed he tray out along with a fork and made his way into the living room. He dropped down on the couch and turned on the TV. The tattoo artist lifestyle wasn’t so glamorous when you started out.

Sasha joined him as soon as she was done with her food and curled up on the left cushion of the couch. She was close to be petted but far enough away to have her own space.

Yuri pulled out his phone and checked Instagram on professional account first. He only had a small following so far but he was hoping that would change when he started doing more custom work. The photo from today had a relatively good amount of likes on it and few positive comments. He even had some new followers.

He then switched over to his personal account and immediately saw the new follower request. He kept this one private to keep his professional and home life separate. (Unlike Viktor who was more than happy to show the whole world everything, especially after he met Yuuri.) Yuri tapped to see who the request was from, even if he already had an idea, and nearly dropped his phone when he was it was in fact Otabek. He honestly hadn’t expected to follow him.

He accepted the request and went to view Otabek’s account, curious to see what kind of photos he’d shared. Yuri was quickly disappointed to see the account was practically empty. He wanted to see what kind of person Otabek was like but it looked as if the skater barely used the thing. His most recent picture was from Worlds earlier that month but before that, it was nearly six months ago. And out of the less than ten photos that were there, only two had Otabek even in them.

Despite his lack of photos, Yuri found himself hovering his thumb over the follow button. It wouldn’t be weird if he followed him back now. It might actually be rude if he didn’t since Yuri was the one to give him his personal account.

Yuri tapped the follow button. It was done. He went back to his main feed and started scrolling to distract himself from what he just done. He didn’t know why he was getting so worked up about this. They were only mutually following each other on Instagram, it wasn’t that big of a deal. Besides, Yuri didn’t even know if he’d ever see Otabek again.

Maybe Otabek wouldn’t even notice that Yuri followed him back. Since he didn’t post often, he might not even check the app that much either. He could have just followed Yuri today out of politeness.

Yuri closed the app and set the phone next to him on the couch. He couldn’t stand to look at it anymore without over thinking it all. He continued to eat his less than satisfying dinner and watched whatever was on TV that night, _not_ thinking about Otabek.

*

A couple of weeks later, Yuri was checking his professional account when he saw that he had been tagged in a post. He smiled when he opened it and saw it was from Otabek, showing off his newly healed tattoo.

 

> **♥ 2, 614 likes**
> 
> **otabek-altin** I’ll always love my home and will wear it with pride. Done at Living Legends by  @yuri-plisetsky

He tapped the like button and moved on to his other notifications. He was surprised to see a sudden increase in followers. They must be some of Otabek’s fans and started following him because of his post. It was nice to see someone of Otabek’s international fame showing of the work he’d done.

Part of Yuri was also happy to see one of Otabek’s few photos mention him in it. But he wasn’t going to admit that to anyone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So here are some of the tattoos that Yuri has that are mentioned in this fic. He has more, I just haven't figured them all out yet.
> 
> The ones of his forearms are inspired by [these](https://www.instagram.com/p/wedSIEzG8g/). The one on his back shoulder is [this one](http://findtattoodesign.net/designs/188-blue-watercolor-tiger#.WCyo0x5cH9I.pinterest).


	2. Chapter 2

Even if they didn’t talk, Yuri still thought about Otabek over the summer. He noticed when Otabek liked one of his photos on his personal account and saw when Otabek returned to his family home in Almaty for his break, surprised he actually posted a photo while there. Yuri spent some of his evenings at home watching Otabek’s old skating programs he found on YouTube. He was impressed to see how far the sport had evolved since he skated with the number of quad jumps these men were throwing down on the ice. It was incredible and Otabek was no exception.

Yuri was definitely _not_ pining for the skater. Not at all. He was merely interested to see his skating. He just made sure to keep what he was watching from Mila.

Fall approached and as Yuuri started getting excited for the upcoming skating season, Yuri saw this as his chance to potentially see Otabek again. Even though Yuuri knew Otabek, Yuri never approached the older man to ask about him. Since the two of them didn’t know each other that well, it might have been weird to talk to Yuuri about Otabek, That’s at least what Yuri told himself.

Phichit was another option but Yuri didn’t think it would work out well either. He knew Phichit was friendly enough to help Yuri out if he asked him. But after looking over Phichit’s Instagram for any photos with Otabek, which was no easy feat since the man posted way too much, Yuri only found one photo where Otabek was part of a group shot in the back. So either Otabek just didn’t like taking photos or him and Phichit weren’t that close.

Yuri’s option now was to wait and see if an opportunity would present itself.

 

One day at the studio, Yuri overheard Yuuri talking on the phone to Phichit about the just announced Grand Prix assignments. He pulled out his own phone and searched for the assignments, hoping Otabek would be at the Moscow one. To Yuri’s disappointment, Otabek had been assigned to Skate Canada and NHK Trophy. Phichit wasn’t assigned to either of those so Yuri wouldn’t have been able to tag along with Yuuri, not that he really had the money for it. Plus, that would be weird to show up like and was definitely be something Viktor would do. And Yuri was not going to start turning into Viktor.

Yuri took note of the dates of the two competitions so that he would remember to watch them. When the time came for them, Yuri invited himself over to Viktor and Yuuri’s apartment for the men’s events. Neither of them question Yuri’s reasoning for coming over and welcomed him.

(Yuri was always invited over for dinner, he just usually turned them down.)

As they watched the events in Canada, Yuri halfway paid attention during the skaters he didn’t know. As soon as Otabek was announced and he skated onto the ice, Yuri’s focus was only him. His eyes didn’t move away from the screen for the three minutes that Otabek was on it and it didn’t go unnoticed by Yuuri sitting next to him.

During the NHK Trophy, Yuri intently watched each skating performance. Since Skate Canada, Yuri had brushed back up on the elements and scoring for the programs since he didn’t remember all the technical aspects very well. There would be times where both Yuris would shout at the screen when a score was too low or cheered when a skater landed a difficult jumping pass. Viktor sat to the side and was more amused by them than what was on TV.

Yuri watched the Grand Prix Final alone at his apartment since Yuuri and Viktor had flown at to Barcelona for it. They offered to pay for him to go but Yuri politely refused. He didn’t want to feel like he owed them afterwards since he wouldn’t be able to pay them back right away.

(He was later glad he didn’t go with them after seeing the Instagram post by Viktor announcing they were engaged. Yuri was happy for them but could only imagine what it would have been like if he was around them after the fact.)

So, Yuri livestreamed the men’s free skate event. He’d enjoyed seeing Otabek improve over the season and watched with bated breath as he started his free skate. Otabek was currently in second after the short program and was behind the top Canadian skater. Yuri was sure he could take gold.

Yuri fist bumped the air when Otabek’s scores were announced and it broke the three-hundred-point mark. Now it was time for Leroy to skate and determine who the winner was. As he skated, Yuri hoped Otabek’s score was enough to keep him on top.

When Leroy finished and took his seat in the kiss and cry, it seemed like an eternity before his scores were released. Yuri cheered loudly, not caring at all if his neighbors complained, because the score wasn’t good enough to take first. Otabek had won the Grand Prix Final.

 

*

 

It was a cold January afternoon as Yuri and Mila returned to the parlor after getting dinner together. It had been a slow day for them so it was nice to get out for a bit since it was still a long way to eleven pm.

Yuuri looked up at them as they entered. “Yurio, while you were out, someone called to set up a consult with you.”

Yuri removed his sunglasses and walked toward the counter with Mila following behind him. “Alright, when is it?”

“Next Wednesday at four. “

Yuri nodded, committing it to memory, as he stepped away to go put his coat away.

“And it’s with Otabek,” Yuuri added with a smile.

Yuri froze on the spot and glanced back. “Really?”

“He requested to meet with you again. He must have really liked the first one you gave him,” Yuuri replied, turning back to the computer.

After trying to find a way to see Otabek again, Yuri didn’t think it would happen like this. He was glad Yuuri had been the one to schedule the appointment because Yuri might not have been able to keep his cool if he unexpectedly had to talk to Otabek.

Yuri slowly nodded and started walking towards his room.  

“So, looks like you’ll get to see hot skater boy again after all,” Mila said as she followed him. “I’m sure it’ll be better than watching him on TV.”

Yuri looked back at her as he entered the room, shrugging off his coat. “How do you…?” He trailed off when he saw her smirk.

Mila crossed her arms and leaned her shoulder against the door frame. “I know you’ve been watching the skating competitions with Yuuri. He mentioned it to me a couple of months ago about how he was glad you were finally coming around to dinner with him and Viktor. He also said you would stay to watch the skating with him,” she said.

Yuri felt a little guilty knowing that he was using the dinners as an excuse to watch Otabek skate when Yuuri actually thought he was there to spend time with them. Maybe he could find a way to make it up to the couple.

But that still didn’t mean he wanted Mila knowing he was watching it because this was exactly how Yuri knew she would react.

“I wasn’t watching just for him. I used to skate myself you know,” he replied, hanging his coat up.

“Hmm, right. Except I’ve never seen you interested before, even with Yuuri around the past couple of years since he used to compete. Either Otabek has rekindled your interest in skating _or_ you’re just interested in him,” Mila said.

Yuri crossed his arms against his chest. “Does it really matter why I’m watching figure skating again? I’m free to have other interests besides tattooing.”

“Of course you are, Yuri. Just like it’s okay to admit that you like this guy. You’re both adults so what’s the problem?” Mila asked, dropping the teasing tone and going serious.

Her change in tone caught Yuri’s attention. Besides the general teasing, he knew Mila really did care about him. She was like the annoying older sister he never had. But Yuri didn’t know how to answer her because that meant admitting his feelings out loud to someone else, making them real. Yuri didn’t think he was ready for that yet.

“I hardly know the guy besides the fact that he’s a figure skater,” Yuri said, sitting down in the chair. “So how can I say if I actually like him or not?”

Mila pushed herself off the doorframe and walked into the room. She pulled the stool up to the chair and sat in front of Yuri. “That’s how crushes start. You’re interested in him, think he’s attractive and want to get to know him better. So, talk to him and see what he’s like. Get a feel for him and go from there.”

“That’s easy for you to say,” Yuri said.

Mila shrugged as she leaned her elbows down to rest on her knees. “That’s how it worked for me and Sara.”

“But you two were friends and known each for years before you started dating. That made it easier.”

“Maybe. If you’re worried about rushing into this and immediately jump into dating, then take things slow. Hang out and become friends first. Nothing wrong with taking your time,” Mila said.

 _She was right_ , Yuri thought. He realized he probably should have come to her sooner about this. But as he thought about what she said, Yuri’s main concern bubbled up again. He dropped his gaze to the floor, thinking that would make it easier if he wasn’t looking at her when he asked, “But what would Otabek even see in me? He’s a gold medalist on the international stage and I’m just the guy that does his tattoos.”

Mila reached out and gently touched his knee. “Why does that matter what either of your careers are? He may be a gold medalist, but you work at the top tattoo parlor in St Petersburg and probably for all of Russia.”

“Yeah because of _Viktor’s_ accomplishments, not mine,” Yuri cut in. He was still a nobody in this industry. Just a dime a dozen tattoo artists trying to make their mark on the word, no pun intended.

Mila shook her head. “I give it a couple of years and you’ll be on the same level as him. You’ve got good, raw talent, Yuri. You’ll go far. Just don’t forget about me then,” she said with a wink.

That got a chuckle out of Yuri as he looked back up at her. “I would never do that to you.”

“Damn right you won’t. But seriously Yuri, I don’t think you have to worry about Otabek not being interested in you,” she continued. “He obviously likes you well enough to come again for another tattoo which means you didn’t scare him off.”

Yuri rolled his eyes. There was the teasing again.

“Sorry, couldn’t help it,” Mila said. “Even if he just wants to be friends with you, how does that make you feel?” she asked, going serious again.

Yuri was quiet for a few moments. He hadn’t really thought about it like that but he figured he would be okay with it. “I still want to be his friend regardless. I’m not even _that_ sure about a relationship right now.”

“Then my advice is, try getting his phone number after the consult and see what happens.”

Yuri nodded. That seemed easy enough. “Don’t you have an appointment soon?” he asked, ready to end this discussion to give himself time alone to think about it all.

Mila glanced up at the clock on the wall. “I do. I should go prepare for that.”

She pushed herself up from the stool and walked toward the door.

Before she exited, Yuri called her name. As she turned to look back at him, Yuri said, “Thanks.”

Mila smiled at him since it was one of the few times he actually said that to her. “Your welcome, Yuri. You know I’m always here to help you.”

“Just don’t tell the others. I don’t want everyone knowing.”

Mila nodded. “It’s all safe with me,” she said with a wink and then she was gone.

 

*

 

On the following Wednesday, Yuri was a mix of nervousness and excitement as he left his apartment for work. Since he was finally seeing Otabek today, Yuri a little longer than normal getting ready by braiding his hair. He was sure Mila would make some kind of comment about it since he typically pulled it back in a ponytail for work, but today he didn’t even care.

Yuri sat at the front counter as he waited for his appointment with Otabek. The tattoo he’d done earlier that day kept him distracted one he got there (a cute little black cat on a woman’s forearm) but now he was antsy. He bounced his leg up and down as scrolled Instagram.

 Yuuri, who was sitting next to him at the computer trying to work, glanced over at him. “Everything alright?”

Yuri looked over at him. “Yeah, why are you asking?”

The older man stared at him for a moment and said, “No reason. It’s just… you seem a bit anxious is all.”

Yuri planted his foot firmly on the floor, becoming aware of what he was doing. “I’m fine, Katsudon. No need to worry about me,” he said.

Yuuri nodded and turned back to the computer, resuming his work. “Otabek’s appointment is soon,” he commented.

Yuri hummed in agreement as he continued scrolling through the app. He was fully aware that the appointment was soon since he kept checking the time. He was expecting Otabek to walk through the door at any moment.

Silence fell between them for a couple of minutes as they focused on their own thing. It was nice. Yuri liked how the older man never pushed him to talk if he didn’t want to and didn’t bore him with mindless chatter.

“Otabek asked me about you while I was at the Grand Prix Final last month,” Yuuri causally said, keeping his eyes on the computer screen.

Yuri’s head whipped around back to the other man so fast, he was surprised he didn’t give himself whiplash. “He did what?” Why didn’t Yuuri mention this sooner?

As Yuuri was about to answer, the front door opened and the man in question entered the shop.

Yuri looked over as he heard the door open. As he watched Otabek walk toward the counter, he felt like he could melt with the way Otabek’s gaze was fixed solely on him.

“Good afternoon, Otabek. It’s nice to see you again,” Yuuri greeted as the younger one remained speechless.

“It’s nice to see you too,” Otabek replied, glancing to him before settling back on Yuri.

Yuuri nudged the younger one under the table with his foot, trying to bring him back to reality and say something, while he smiled at Otabek.

Yuri blinked a couple of times, his face beginning to flush as he realized he’d only been staring at Otabek. _Way to go_ , Yuri thought.

He quickly rose from his chair and said, “I’m glad to see you’ve come back for another one.”

“After the first one, I couldn’t stop thinking about what I wanted to get next,” replied Otabek.

Yuri smiled. “They can be addicting. Let’s head back and start discussing your idea,” he said as his brain when on consult autopilot.

As they walked back, Yuri glanced over at Otabek. “Congratulations on winning gold at the Final.”

“Thank you. I assume Yuuri told you?” he asked.

“No, I actually watched it live from home. Had to see it for myself.” Yuri knew he was blushing now as he admitted it to the skater and hoped the other wouldn’t notice.

Otabek’s expression was unreadable and Yuri tried not to think about it as they arrived at his room. He let Otabek enter first before following. It was time to work and Yuri needed to focus on that and not his feelings.

Yuri grabbed his sketch and pencil before sitting down on his stool as Otabek sat in the chair. “So, what are you thinking about getting this time?” he asked, flipping the book open to a blank page.

“I’m wanting something of a bear and in color.”

A bear Yuri could do but the color might be a challenge. “Alright so what kind of bear? Are you wanting realistic or more stylized?”

“Stylized would be good and have it be something of your design.”

Yuri’s hand stilled on the paper from his note taking. Otabek wanted a custom design by him?

“Are you sure you wouldn’t want Viktor for this? Custom work is all he does,” Yuri said. It’s not that he doubted his own skills but this was Otabek. He did not want to mess this up. What if Otabek didn’t like what he came up with?

“I want you do to this tattoo, not Viktor. I know you can do it.”

Yuri bit his bottom lip. He couldn’t really say no to that. “Okay, then I’ll work on a couple of sketches and you can decide which one you like more. If you don’t like either of them, then I’ll keep going until you have something you are satisfied with.”

Otabek nodded. “I’m sure I’ll like whatever you come up with.”

“Where are you wanting this to go? Just so I have an idea for sizing as I work.”

“On the side of my ribs.”

Yuri raised an eyebrow at him. “Are you sure that’s where you want it to go?” He remembered how much his hurt when he got his rib piece done.

“I’m aware that it’s a sensitive area but it’s where I want it,” Otabek answered. “You’re not going to change my mind on it.”

Yuri held his hands up in surrender. “If that’s where you want it, then that’s where it’ll go. Just don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

Yuri rolled over to the small table in the room and set the sketchbook on top of it so he could work. He booted up the laptop on the table and pulled up some reference photos of bears to use. He flipped over onto the back of the page and sharpened his pencil. “Any particular reason for getting a bear?” he asked out of curiosity.

“They’re my favorite animals,” Otabek said as he turned in the chair to face Yuri. “I assume it’s safe to say big cats are your favorite?”

Yuri smiled even if his back was to Otabek. “What could have possibly given that away?” Yuri teased as he started to draw. “Surely not the multiple cat tattoos I have.” His smiled as he heard Otabek chuckle.

“That was my first clue, along with the giant tiger on your wall. Do you have a favorite out of them?”

“Tigers. They’ve always been my top favorite,” Yuri immediately replied. He didn’t even have to think about it.

“Did you paint the tiger yourself?” Otabek asked.

Yuri nodded. “I did. I don’t paint often but I wanted to have something I liked in here so I’ll be spending so much time here.”

Otabek was quiet for a moment, Yuri assuming he was looking at the tiger.

“It’s very well done.”

“Thanks,” Yuri said, glancing back at him and smiling. Maybe he liked hearing Otabek praise his work a little too much.

 

From there, they fell into a comfortable silence as Yuri drew. He didn’t mind since it gave him the focus he needed to work. The first couple of sketches he tried, Yuri hated. The third geometric one wasn’t too bad but he wasn’t sure how it would look placed on the ribs. He flipped to a new page and tried one last time going for something completely different from his usual style. He went more abstract, keeping the lines sketchy and did a partial outline of a bear standing on its hind legs. The bear was looking off to the left with a calm expression.

(Yuri didn’t think a furious looking bear really suited Otabek.)

He pulled out a set of his colored pencils and picked out a few he thought Otabek would like. He added splashes of color for a watercolor effect. As he finished and looked over his work, Yuri was surprisingly happy with it. This was the one he would show Otabek first.

Yuri picked up the book and went back to Otabek, who’d quietly been looking at something on his phone. “What do you think?” He asked as he handed the book to Otabek.

He watched Otabek’s eyes light up as he gazed at the drawing.

“You did the colors of Kazakhstan,” Otabek said as he met Yuri’s gaze.

“I thought you would like that. Of course we can change it if you want something else,” Yuri said, trying to remain cool under Otabek’s gaze.

Otabek shook his head as he looked back down at the drawing. “No, I like it how it is.”

“So, I take it you like the design?” It was clear Otabek liked but Yuri still wanted to hear the words anyway.

“I love it. This is better than anything I could have come up with.”

Yuri ducked his head, wishing his hair was down to hide the blush spreading across his face again. It was only because of Otabek that he was blushing this month in one day. “I’m glad you like it.”

He took ahold of the book as Otabek handed it back to him. Now that the design was taken care of, Yuri needed to see the area it was to go to make sure he got the sizing right or make adjustments. This meant Otabek would have to remove his shirt. Great.

“Um, I need you to take your shirt off for me. So I can figure out the placement.”

Otabek simply nodded, not bothered by the request. He stood up and removed his jacket, dropping it on the chair. He then pulled the shirt off and laid it onto of the jacket.

Yuri knew he was staring at his chest, taking in all the muscles the skater had, and he couldn’t stop. He had a stockier build than Yuri’s lithe body with strong shoulders and a toned abdomen. Even if he was shorter, Yuri knew Otabek could still lift him and that’s exactly what Yuri wanted. Preferably pressed against a wall.

As soon as the thought crossed his mind, Yuri cursed himself. This was completely unprofessional and inappropriate. He hoped Otabek hadn’t noticed and avoided looking at his face as he stepped closer to him.

“What side do you want it on?” he asked.

“The right.”

“Raise your arm for me.”

Otabek did as he was asked. As Yuri held the book up to his side, Otabek spoke. “I’m glad you decided to keep working here.”

Yuri’s eyes flicked up to meet Otabek’s. “Huh?” His mind was too busy trying to stay focused that he didn’t fully process what the other man had said.

“The last time I was here, you said after your contract was up you were free to move onto another shop to work. I’m glad you didn’t.”

Yuri dropped his gaze back down. “I think I’ll stick around here a little longer. Were you hoping I was still here when you called to set up this consult?”

Otabek hesitated for a moment before answering, “I asked Yuuri when I saw him in December.”

Well, that explained what Yuuri meant earlier when he said Otabek talked to him at the Grand Prix Final. But that easily could be Otabek wanting to make sure he could come here to get a tattoo again. That didn’t necessarily mean Otabek was here just for him. Right?

“You’re in luck because I’m not going anywhere for a while.”

“Good.”

Yuri pushed that to the back of his mind to think about later. “How does right here look?” he asked, getting back on track.

 

Yuri was both sad and relieved when Otabek put his shirt back on after they decided on the placement and size. Although it was going to take a while for Yuri to get the image of shirtless Otabek out of his mind.

They walked back up to the front without a word. Yuri was surprised to see the front counter was empty and wondered where Yuuri had went. He decided it wasn’t worth worrying over and went about setting up Otabek’s next appointment and taking care of the pricing and deposit.

“I’d highly suggest you don’t drive here for this one because it will be a longer session. You’re not going to feel like driving afterwards,” Yuri said as he handed Otabek the appointment card.

“I’ll make sure to find another way to get here then,” Otabek replied as he slid the card into his jacket pocket.

It was time for them to say goodbye again and Mila’s advice of giving Otabek his number rang out in his mind. It was a simple enough task but he was finding it difficult to do.

 _Yuri, you’re twenty years old not fifteen. Just give him your damn number_ , he told himself.

As he moved to grab a pen, Otabek leaned over the counter and grabbed one from the pen holder and a stack of post-it notes. He wrote something across the top sheet and pushed it over to Yuri.

“There’s my number for you to have. Feel free to text me if you want,” he said, slowly meeting his gaze.

Yuri could since the apprehension in Otabek and quickly pulled his phone out of his back pocket. He brought up a new text message and glanced at the note. “There. Now you’ll have mine too,” he said after he pressed the send button.

“Thanks,” Otabek said, looking more relaxed. “Well, I’ll see you in a few months then.”

“Good luck at Four Continents and Worlds. I’ll be rooting for you,” Yuri said as Otabek started to walk toward the door.

Otabek looked back at him as he reached the door. “Thanks, Yuri. It’s nice knowing you’re watching.”

The smile Otabek gave Yuri left him speechless. With a nod, Otabek was out the door.

Yuri remained standing as he stared at the door where Otabek has just been standing. Yuri had completely and one hundred percent, fallen for the skater. There was no denying it anymore. But before he could deal with that self-revelation, Yuri needed to talk to Viktor. If he was going to do this tattoo in a watercolor style, he was going to do it right and Viktor was the perfect person to get advice from. Yuri knew firsthand how good the older man was at this style since he’d done the watercolor tiger on Yuri’s back right before he started his apprenticeship.

He was determined to make this one of the best damn tattoos he’d ever do.

 

***

 

Yuri sat hunched over Otabek’s side as he worked. He’d tattooed people’s ribs before but this had to be the hardest one he’d done so far. The tattoo itself was out of his comfort zone but Viktor helped him on technique leading up to this and offered to be around for assistance so that wasn’t the problem. It was Otabek’s distracting body. Yuri thought he had a hard time during the consultation when Otabek took off his shirt but this time was different. Now he had to be up close and personal with him, _touching_ him, as he worked. It just wasn’t fair.

There wasn’t much talking going on between them this time which was fine. It was a comfortable silence that gave Yuri the quiet focus that he needed while he worked. The sooner he finished, the better it would be for Otabek and Yuri didn’t want to drag this pain out longer than it needed to be.

Ever since their last meeting, they stayed in constant contact as they texted on a regular basis. It gave them a chance to learn more about one another (Yuri’s favorite being the fact that Otabek’s hobby was DJing) and give Yuri the time to become more familiar with him so that he wasn’t so nervous when he saw him today.

Everyone around the shop noticed a change in Yuri as he started talking to Otabek more. Yuri rolled his eyes when Mila commented on that fact. He didn’t see what the big deal was nor that he was acting any differently. It just so happened he found someone he could talk to that didn’t annoy him and he enjoyed their conversations.

Yuri leaned back and glanced up at Otabek’s face. He kept checking periodically to make sure he was still doing okay throughout the tattoo. Yuri could tell Otabek was feeling the pain by his clenched jaw but Yuri had to give the man credit for not fidgeting around too much. It was making it go by faster with Yuri not having to stop so often.

He wiped away the blood with a paper towel and looked back at the reference picture. The main design that was black was finished but the coloring would take more time.

Yuri pushed himself away from Otabek and close to the door as he could get before hollering, “Oi, Viktor! Come here.”

Yuri rolled back over to Otabek as he waited for Viktor. A moment later, the older man stepped into the room.

“Ready for coloring?” Viktor asked as he walked up behind Yuri. He looked down at the tattoo and nodding approving.

“I am,” Yuri replied.

“Alright as I said before, you’ll want to start by…” And Yuri listened as Viktor instructed him through it again.

Yuri remembered everything that Viktor had told him back in January but he still wanted Viktor there as he started just to reassure him that he was doing it correctly.

Viktor quietly observed Yuri as he worked on one splash of sky blue, letting him work without further interruption.

As Yuri finished the first section of blue, he was pleased with how it turned out, boosting his confidence to finish the rest. As he moved onto another splash, he completely forgot Viktor was there.

Once the second section was done and Yuri wiped away the blood, Viktor spoke. “You’re doing very well with this, Yuri. You should try doing more color in your work.”

Yuri dipped the machine into a darker blue to add more dimension to the color scheme besides the two colors and turned back to continue. “Thanks but I think I’ll stick to my black and gray,” he said. Viktor tended to go for the vibrant, colorful tattoos so of course he would suggest Yuri do more of that. Yuri was fine doing that occasionally but not all the time.

Viktor shrugged. “It’s up to you. I’ll leave you to continue working. Let me know if you need any more help. I’ll be up front with Yuuri.”

Yuri looked over at him and nodded. “Go back to your gross, couple stuff,” he said, turning back to continue.

“We shall!” Viktor said as he left, sounding way too cheery.

Yuri had a feeling the couple would still be this lovey-dovey long after they were married.

 

As the session was nearing its end, Yuri didn’t feel the same way as he did the first time when Otabek’s session was almost over. Before, he wanted the session to go longer so that he could spend more time with him. But this time, Yuri knew he could still see Otabek sometime outside of the studio since they exchanged numbers. This wouldn’t be the last time they saw each other.

After putting in the finishing touches, Yuri set the machine down and wiped the tattoo with a fresh paper towel. He was amazed with himself on how well it turned out.

“All done. I think you’re really going to like it,” he said, tossing the paper towel away. “Take a look for yourself.”

Yuri watched as Otabek slowly sat up, careful to keep his arm up and not touching his side. He looked relieved it was finally over. Otabek slid off the chair and walked over to the mirror.

“What do you think?” Yuri asked as Otabek remained silent, gazing into the mirror.

Otabek looked up in the mirror and locked eyes with Yuri in the reflection. “I love it. This was worth the pain.”

Yuri smiled and said, “I did say it would hurt.”

“That you did.” Otabek’s expression softened as he turned to look directly at Yuri. “Thank you.”

“I’m glad you’re happy with it.”

Otabek turned and stepped back toward him. “Aren’t you happy with it too?”

Yuri made sure to keep his eyes locked on Otabek’s face and nothing lower. “How can I not be? This is one of my favorite tattoos I’ve done.” No matter what he designed after in the future, this one was always going to be one of his favorites because he made it just for Otabek. “This is a Yuri Plisetsky original and you now have the honor of having something no one else will have because I don’t repeat customs designs.”

(That was something he picked up from Viktor. Never do the same custom tattoo twice. You can do the same themes or objects of course, but never the exact same tattoo. It makes that tattoo special for that person who received. Sure someone can see a picture of it online and have another artist try to copy it if the artist will but it’s not the same quality.)

“Aren’t I lucky then,” Otabek replied.

Yuri continued to gaze at Otabek, lost in the moment. He knew there were things he should be doing right now but he couldn’t tear his eyes away. Especially since Otabek looked as if he was about to saying something else.

Thanks to Viktor’s perfectly bad timing, he stepped into the room before Otabek could continue. “Are we all done?” he asked.

“Just finished,” Yuri answered, dropping his gaze from Otabek.

“May I take a lot?” Viktor asked Otabek. After getting the okay, Viktor moved in close and leaned over to get a good look at the tattoo. “This is wonderful work, Yurio. You should get some good shots of this to keep for your portfolio,” he said as he straightened up.

Yuri nodded. “Already planning to.”

“Thank you for choosing to come back here, Mr. Altin.” Viktor turned back to Otabek. “We hope to see you around here more,” he said with a wink.

Yuri narrowed his eyes at Viktor as he caught the wink. He knew Viktor wasn’t flirting with Otabek because the man only had eyes for the Japanese man out front and the whole world knew that. The only explanation Yuri could think of was that Viktor _knew_ he liked Otabek.

“What are you talking about old man?” Yuri questioned.

Viktor looked over at him and smiled brightly. “Is that my Yuuri calling my name? I better go and see what he needs.”

“No one called your name! Don’t ignore my question!” Yuri called as Viktor darted out of the room.

Yuri sighed once he was gone. Why did he put up with this?

He stripped off his gloves and tossed them into the trash bin. He retrieved his phone from the drawer and turned back to Otabek to see him with a curious expression on his face. Great, it looked like he picked up on how weird Viktor was acting around him.

“Mind if I take a few pictures?” he asked, avoiding the awkwardness that was settling in the room.

“Not at all.”

Yuri was quick with the pictures and got to work on covering up the tattoo. As he did, he wondered how Viktor could have found out. Mila promised she wouldn’t tell and he knew she wouldn’t do that behind his back. But who else could it have been?

“Yuri, there’s something I wanted to ask you before Viktor interrupted,” Otabek said.

Yuri’s hand stilled as he glanced up and met his gaze. “Okay,” he said.

“I wanted to know if you were interested in meeting up sometime soon.”

Instead of answering with the obvious “yes”, Yuri asked “Is this like a date or something?” If he had read the situation right, then that’s what Otabek was asking. If Yuri was wrong and Otabek meant just hanging out as friends, at least he would know where Otabek stood.

“If you want it to be.”

Even though he told Mila last week he was fine just being Otabek’s friend, he realized in that moment he wanted more than that. And it seemed like Otabek wanted the same thing. “Maybe I do,” he replied.

“Then it’s a date,” Otabek said, smiling at him.

Yuri ducked his head, hiding the grin the was spreading across his face. He went back to finishing his work. “I’m off on Sundays and Mondays if that either of those days works for you.”

“How about next Monday we can meet up for coffee?” Otabek suggested.

“Works for me. We can pick a time later,” Yuri said as he finished. “And now we’re all done for today.”

Otabek nodded and walked across the room to pick up his shirt. He’d been smart and worn a button up so it would be easy to redress afterwards. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and started tapping around on it as Yuri removed and disposed on his gloves.

The front of the shop was conveniently empty again as the pair made their way to the counter. Yuri knew for sure it was on purpose this time and bet the others were eavesdropping somewhere close by. They were going to get a talking to after Otabek was gone, that’s for sure.

Once everything was taken care of, Otabek said, “I’ve still got a couple of minutes before my ride is here.”

Yuri nodded. “Want to wait outside? I’ll join you.”

“Don’t you need to stay here?”

Yuri was already walking around the counter. “Oh, I’m sure _someone_ can cover it,” he said.

Otabek shrugged and they made their way outside.

The air was a little chilly but Yuri wasn’t too bothered by it to need to go back inside and get his jacket. “So…” he started, trying to think of something to talk about. “Are you going back to Almaty soon?”

Otabek shook his head. “I’ve decided not to this year. Going to stay here for the summer.”

“Really?” Yuri looked over at him, surprised he wasn’t going to visit his family.

 Otabek met his gaze. “There’s someone here in the city I was hoping to spend more time with if my upcoming date goes well.”

“I know on good authority that should happen,” Yuri said with a smile.

“You think so?”

“I do.”

Soon a car pulled up in front of the shop and Otabek waved at the driver. “He’s a rink mate of mine,” he explained, glancing back at Yuri. “I’ll text you later so we can work out details for Monday.”

“Alright. Get some rest when you get home and take it easy tonight. You don’t want to do too much right now,” Yuri said as he watched Otabek up to the car.

Otabek chuckled. “I plan on it. Bye, Yuri.” He opened the passenger door and slid into the seat.

“Bye.” Yuri waved as Otabek looked back him before the car drove away.

He continued to stand there, smiling to himself. Yuri had a date. He actually had a date planned with Otabek.

Once the car was gone, Yuri headed back inside. As he entered, there was quick movement as everyone scrambled away from the window. They’d been watching him outside with Otabek.

Yuri crossed his arms against his chest and glared at everyone, his smile from outside now gone. It was time they had a little chat about boundaries.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!
> 
> Like I mentioned at the beginning of chapter one, I've really fallen in love with this AU I've created and do plan to continue it in the future with this ship as well as Viktor/Yuuri and Mila/Sara. I'm currently working on another AU now so I can't say when I'll get back to this one. But if you'd like to see more of this, let me know in the comments! I've got lots of ides and headcanons for this world so you're more than welcome to talk to me about them on tumblr or twitter.
> 
> Here is the [inspiration](http://tattoofilter.tumblr.com/post/130950428059/abstract-watercolor-style-bear-tattoo-on-the) I took for Otabek's tattoo that Yuri designed. 
> 
> If you liked this and want to reblog on tumblr, use this [post](http://bekasyura.tumblr.com/post/158549503471/covered-in-my-art).
> 
> You can find me on [twitter](https://twitter.com/bekasyura) and [tumblr](http://bekasyura.tumblr.com/) as @bekasyura. Feel free to come and talk to me about YOI!
> 
> *Quick Note Edit 3/19 - If you want to see more of this, make sure to subscribe to or bookmark the series I've created for this whole verse. That's where all future fics will be posted, even those for otayuri.


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